The present invention relates in general to decorative household products such as candles and room fresheners, and in particular to a new and useful product with a clear fill or matrix containing one or more solid shapes or icons. A preferred form of the invention is a candle in a glass jar that simulates a jar of fruit or other identifiable items. The fruit or other shapes or icons are made of material which is based on ester-terminated polyamide or ETPA.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,187 to Elhara discloses a solid wax plug at the top of a chamber containing combustible oil. A wick from the wax extends into the oil.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,366 to Moore discloses a central core candle of wax surrounded by fragrance containing wax chips or pieces, all received within a candle holder of glass or ceramic.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,277 to Widmer discloses the inclusion of solid chunks of wax at the flat side walls of a wax candle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,428 to Lam discloses a candle made of a stack of small wax pieces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,233 to Karp discloses a pillar candle having a core wax candle surrounded by a transparent wax shell forming an annular gap. Potpourri and more transparent wax fills the annular gap so that the potpourri is visible. The core wax candle is sufficiently large so that the shell does not burn when the core candle burns.
A candle with differently colored outer layer and inlays around an inner wax filler is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,615 to DeGarmo.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,300 to Wohl et al. discloses a multiple layer wax candle having an outer shell formed from layers of a high-melting point wax. An inner core of the candle is combustible and replaceable within the outer shell. Decorative designs may be formed in the outer shell. The candle is formed by molding the outer layers followed by filling the shell with the inner core candle and a wick.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,098 to Taylor discloses a candle composition having two paraffin waxes with particular melting point ranges combined with a small percentage of a stretchability enhancer. The stretchability enhancer is either a polymer or microcrystalline wax having a melting point between 120-130.degree. F.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,270 to Marcus et al. teaches a fragrance candle having an outer wax shell surrounding an inner core containing a wick. The inner core is another petrolatum, low-melting point wax or paraffin mixed with 5-12% by weight of a fragrance. The outer wax shell acts as the container for the candle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,089 to Elsamaloty teaches a clear candle formed from a composition which includes mineral oil combined with a particular type of polymer. The mineral oil is mixed with these polymers to form a clear polymer body that holds a wick and combusts like a candle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,701 to Schroder discloses a safety device for burning candles composed of an outer clear vessel holding a first liquid, such as water, surrounding a second vessel containing a smaller amount of cooling liquid and a candle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,279,137 to Guilfoil, Jr. shows a candle formed within a clear container having ribs to enhance the combustion properties of the candle.
Non-wax materials for creating candles are also known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,657 to Pavlin, et al., assigned to Union Camp Corporation of Wayne, New Jersey, discloses a polymer which is based on ETPA and which is usable, among other things, as a substitute for wax. ETPA-based polymer burns in a manner similar to wax. The contents of U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,657 is incorporated here by reference for its disclosure of the composition and manner of manufacturing ETPA-based materials. ETPA is also commercially available from Union Camp Corporation and is identified by their trademark UNICLEAR.